Massaging and cleaning device



June 20, 1950 J. T. HAEUSSER 2,512,059

MASSAGING AND CLEANING DEVICE Filed Jan, 15, 1948 ////I//////////' ///lI///////// INVENTOR Jkn fffizeusser ATTORNEY-5 Patented June 20, 1950ohn T. Haeusser, Albany, N. Y.

. Application January13, 1948', Serial No. 1,982

This invention relates to anew and" useful improvement in a device formassaging and cleaning and is especially'adapted -for use in so treatingteeth and gums.

It is well known-that many people require their teeth and gums to bemassaged and cleaned, but it is sometimes diflicult to find ordinarybrushes with bristles of just the right stifl'ness, since some peoplecan use a brush with very stiff bristles and others whose teeth and gums1 Claim. (Cl. 12862) are-more tender require a softer brush.Furthermore', the bristles being closely spaced on an ordinary brush donot very readily enter very deeply into the spaces between the teethwhere often food lodges. Because of this difficulty many people arerequired to use dental floss in addition to the ordinary toothbrush inorder to effectively remove all food particles from between their teeth.

In massaging teeth and especially the gums thereof an importantconsideration is to have a device which is firm in one sense and yetflexible enough on those portions coming in contact with the gum so asnot to bruise or irritate them. In the use of ordinary tooth brushes forthis purpose, there is no variation in the stiffness of the bristlesfrom the bottom to the top thereof.

This invention aims to provide a device which will overcome thesedisadvantages and avoid the deficiencies above mentioned and enables oneto massage the gums effectively'while at the same time not subjectingthem to stiff rubbing action and in the same device providing rubbingelements for the teeth which are so formed as to enable them effectivelyto get down in between the teeth and remove particles of food.

A still further object is to provide a simple, economical device whichcan be used to gently massage the teeth and the gums and other portionsof the mouth by a combination of pressure and suction.

Still another object is to provide a simple article which will moreefficiently retain on itself the medicine, cleansing material and thelike at its point of contact with the gums and the teeth so that smallerquantities of such material need be used.

Further and more specific objects, features and advantages will moreclearly appear from a consideration of the detailed specificationhereinafter set forth, especially when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings which illustrate a present preferred form whichthe invention may assume and which form part of the specification.

In brief and general terms the invention com-" prises a brush having abody portion, the top surface of which has formed therein a series ofconcave recesses with common intervening walls, the tops of which arerelatively thin and flexible to project into the spaces between the Iteeth for cleansing purposes and the concavity of'which recesses willact as retainers for the cleansing material. The recesses also act assuction cups when pressure is applied to the device so as to enhance themassaging action of the device on the teeth and the gums and adjoiningparts of the mouth. The top sectional shape of the cavities is somewhatrectangular with curved corners, a shape which will permit easy andcertain action on the portions of the teeth where they join the gums.The common walls between the recesses are relatively broad at the bottombut taper to a relatively thin edge i at the top so as to be flexiblefor massaging purposes and certainly project into the narrow depressionsbetween the teeth for proper cleaning results. The breadth at the bottomof the common walls and the thinness at the top are achieved by formingthe wall faces with intersecting concave curves. Preferably, thesecavities are formed on a common base which can be connected to 'the'body of the brush which may have a proper- .handle. In a preferred formthe cavities and thesupporting base on which they may be formed aremolded of some suitable material such as rubber or the like, and thisunit may be attached to the body of the brush in any suitable manneradapting it to be removed when sufiiciently worn and replaced by a newunit.

A present preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawingsin which- Fig. 1 is a side view of the device with the upper portionbroken away;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a .plan view of the device;

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through a modified form of thedevice; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring now merely to the specific forms of the invention illustratedin the drawings, it will be seen that the novel unit comprising myinvention includes a base portion In preferably of rubber or similarmaterial adapted to be seated in a recess ll formed in the body ll of abrush provided 'with a suitable handle l3. Instead of the base In beingseated in a recess, it may be formed as shown in Fig. 4 with a centralbore l4 into which the body portion 15 of the brush may be inserted. Inthis case the handle l3 will be provided with a shoulder IE to limit theinsertion of the body l5 and properly relate the elements.

A base made of rubber or similar material is preferably molded and hasformed on its upper surface a series of closely spaced concave cavitieslgenerally nominated by the numeral l1. These cavities are preferablymolded integral with the base II), but it is within the purview of thisinvention that they may be formed separately and attached to the supportor base in any suitable manner. Each cavity preferably is in horizontalsection rectangular with curved corners 18. Common walls l9 between thecavities H are formed preferably by;two concave curves. The walls arebroad relatively at the bottom and taper to a relatively thin top edgeas shown. This breadth -.at the bottom with a gradual taper gives thewall sufiicient-funda- 4 a combined pressure and suction action; willafford a recess to receive the cleansing material and get it to thesurfaces to be treated without so much loss and in action will force itmore effectively on to the said surface. The common intervening wallswith their thin upper edges will afford an eiiicient flexible means toenter the depressions between the teeth to effectively remove any solidmatter which may have lodged therein and also to more thoroughlycleanthese portions. The device is simple and economical -adapted to eitherform of handle shown. The

soft smooth surfaces without shanp pointed *bristl'es permit vigorousaction on the teeth and mental strength and firmness to permit vigorousmassaging and scrubbing actionwithout rapid deterioration. Near the topof each :wall its curvature is interrupted by another interceptingconcave curve which more rapidly reduces its thickness; whereby itterminates at the top in a narrow elongated edge 20. As seen in Fig. 3,it willbe noted that the cavities extend practically the full width ofthe base I!) transversely ofthelengthof the base thus ivimr plenty ofsupportand a 'narrowupper edge the full width of the device which givesample-surface forthe massagingof teeth and-gums. The provisionof thedouble concave curvature to the walls gives a narrow relatively thinnerupper portion which results in this portion being somethat more:fiexible and sum'ciently-so-to efiect the scrubbing and massaging ofthe teeth-without being so stiff asnot to give somewhat'and avoidirritating and injuring thegums. The narrowness of the upper edges alsopermits them to enter the spaces -or indentations between the teeth toeffectively remove foodparticles. Pressure on the device will forceitagainst the teeth and permit the cavities to act as pumps and suctiondevices to ionce contained cleansing material into and between the umsand teeth and to massage the gums more effectively.

It will thus be seen that I haveprovided a 5 simple, strong, compact,durable device which can massage the teeth and gums Y efiectivelywith,togivethem plenty of exercise and increase the circulation in the gumswithout creating any soreness or irritation therein.

While the invention has been described in detail; and shown with-respectto the accompanying drawing, it ,isnot to be limited to such details,

since -many changes and modifications maygbe made in the inventionwithout departingirom the spirit and scope thereof. -I-Ience,it-isdesired to coverany and all forms and modifications of theinvention which may come within portion having-upstanding walls at eachside thereof, and-a plurality of spaced transversely extending wallsconnecting the side walls andcoloperating therewith to define aplurality of segregated cavities adapted to contain a dentifrice,

said transverse walls and said side walls being adapted to clean andmassage the teeth and g-u ns JOHN T. HAEUSSER.

("REFERENCES QIVTED Y Thefollowing references are of record ill-the fileof this patent:

UNITED sTATEs PA'I'ENTS Number Date Name 742;639 Harlan Oct. 27,19081,209,516- v.Thompson Dec. l9, 1:916

' 1,892,068- =Metzler- "i "Dec. 27, L932

